The index for food rose 0.2 percent in February after registering no change in January. The index for all items less food and energy rose 0.2 percent in February, the same as in January.

The index for housing rose 0.2 percent in February. Shelter costs increased 0.1 percent in February, the same as in January.

The transportation index, which rose 1.7 percent in January, advanced 0.7 percent in February. The index for gasoline rose 2.5 percent in February, following an 8.1-percent rise in January, accounting for about 80 percent of the February advance in the transportation component.

For the 12-month period ended in February, the CPI-U rose 1.7 percent, as shown in the chart.

These data are from the BLS Consumer Price Index program. For more information, see Consumer Price Index: February 2004 (PDF) (TXT), news release USDL 04-415.

Self-employment in the United States
Trends in self-employment by various demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, including both the unincorporated and the incorporated self-employed, as well as data on paid employees who work for the self-employed.